Tribute Western Counties West

Torquay 7

KINGSBRIDGE welcomed Torquay to High House on Saturday for round six of this season’s league programme keen to maintain their 100 per cent winning record.

Their visitors have been struggling for form and were sitting in the lower half of the table prior to this game, having won two of their opening five matches.

Kingsbridge have won the last five league meetings between the two clubs with Tor­quay’s last win over the Blue and Whites coming in December 2012.

The hosts got off to the best possible start as they crossed for the first of their tries in just the fourth minute. A scrum on the Torquay 22 saw scrum-half Billy Burner move the ball to the blind side to winger Joe Banfield, whose pace took him into the corner to score from 30 metres.

On 10 minutes Kings had the chance for their second try as they pushed the Torquay back over the line from a five-metre scrum but were unable to ground the ball.

They made amends for that five minutes later as their second attempt saw number eight Jack Cope gain the touchdown.

Centre Ashley Treeby converted to put Kingsbridge 12-0 ahead.

On 20 minutes the hosts went further ahead as they benefited from the visitors having two players off the field through yellow cards.

Kingsbridge stole a Torquay line-out deep in the 22 and as the ball was moved out along the back line, centre Treeby carved a great line to touch down for the third try. Treeby converted his own score to put Kings 19-0 ahead – a lead they held until half time.

Immediately from the second-half kick-off a great carry and break from hooker Jake Vin­cent saw Treeby run in for his second try, and Kings’ fourth, to extend the home side’s lead to 24-0.

Number eight Cope crossed over for try number five following a period of sustained pressure in the Torquay 22 and Treeby’s conversion took the score to 31-0.

The visitors crossed over for a try of their own on the overlap to reduce the deficit to 31-7 before Kingsbridge added two further tries in the final 10 minutes.

The first of those and the hosts sixth of the game saw Kingsbridge attacking in the Tor­quay 22 and as the defence was stretched one way and then the other, centre George Banfield crossed over in the corner to take the score to 36-7.

With three minutes remaining the hosts added their seventh try as full-back George Eynon-Lewis powered over wide out to round off a fine move and Treeby converted well to complete the scoring.

Whie there were scoring opportunities that went begging throughout the match, it is hard to be critical of a seven-try, bonus-point win that keeps Kingsbridge at the top of the league table.

Pizza Planet and Bartons Man of the Match – Ben Newman.

This Saturday sees all of the Kingsbridge senior teams without matches due to the Rugby World Cup final. They will all re­turn to action on Sat­urday, November 7.